Sam's suicide
by Veep
Summary: Sam's suicide leads to a rescue mission and a wonderful homecoming. NOW COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

Sams Suicide

Chapter One: Come Home

"I'm sorry to disturb you, sir, but Dr. Jackson's on the phone. He says it's urgent." Jack looked at his assistant's head poking through the crack between the door and doorframe.

"It will only take a minute, Minister." Jack looked away from the dignitary sitting across from his desk as he picked up the telephone receiver. "Daniel?"

"You need to come home, Jack." Daniel's tone was tense.

"I am home, Daniel."

"Get on the first flight out here…and take off the rest of this week. You might need next week too."

"It's not that easy, Daniel. What's going on?" Jack was losing his patience with Daniel. He was hiding his displeasure from the minister of defense patiently sitting across from him.

"I…I can't tell you over the phone. Just get here ASAP."

"When did you start using acronyms?" Jack smirked.

"Now, Jack!" Daniel hung up. The hairs on the back of Jack's neck were standing on end.

"I'm sorry minister. I'm afraid we will need to reschedule our meeting." Jack rose from his chair and walked towards his office door. The minister stood but reluctantly remained in front of his chair.

"It's taken three weeks to get in to see you, and I am leaving town tomorrow. Can we not finish?" The minister wasn't the type of man accustomed to being asked to reschedule.

"No, we can not. I'm sorry. I'll see you again when you get back to town." Jack opened the door and escorted the minister to his assistant's desk. She heard the tail end of the conversation and pulled out the general's calendar. As the minister leaned over to reschedule his appointment Jack remembered Daniel's full request.

"And Sergeant, please clear my calendar for the rest of the week as well." Jack ducked into his office before the young woman could protest. Jack called in a few favors and got a flight to Colorado leaving in forty minutes. It was tight, but he'd make it to the airport if he left immediately. Jack grabbed his hat and briefcase. When he reached Sergeant Wilkin's desk the minister was gone.

"Sir, you're supposed to meet with the Russian and Chinese delegations on Friday. Are you sure you want me to cancel?"

Jack briefly hesitated. "Yes, Sergeant."

She grimaced at his response. Jack knew it was going to be difficult to rearrange that meeting because it had taken over a week and three negotiators to get it arranged.

"Do you still want me to keep your calendar clear for next week?" She looked up at him with expectation and hope in her eyes. He knew if she could move this week's items into next week's open spaces her job would be much simpler.

"I'm not going to let Daniel's surprise ruin my trip to the cabin. I haven't been in over a year, and that's too long to be away. So yes, please keep that week open." Jack's words disappointed the young sergeant but she nodded.

"Yes, sir."

"I'm on my way to the airport. You can reach me on my cell."

"I hope everything is alright sir."

"So do I."

It was a long flight for Jack. He tried calling Sam and Teal'c from the plane, but neither of them answered. Walter said Landry was out and avoided all of Jack's probing questions. Jack knew something was up and he doubted he'd be happy to hear the news.

A car was waiting for Jack when he got to the airport. The young airman opened the door for him and closed it without a word. Jack figured he could thank Walter for setting up his ride. The car pulled up to the SGC entrance. The driver tried to race around the car to open the door for Jack, but Jack didn't care about protocol. He hopped out and headed straight for the first security check.

"It's good to see you, General. You're cleared to enter." Jack nodded his thanks and headed to the elevator. Jack decided to hunt for Daniel so he pressed the button for level 19 and waited as the elevator descended.

"SG-1 report to the briefing room. SG-1 report to the briefing room." Jack punched the button for level 27 before the announcement was finished. He knew the answer to why he was here would be found in the briefing room, not Daniel's office.

Jack assumed since he was already in the elevator he would beat SG-1 to the briefing room, but thanks to stops on three different floors he was wrong. Mitchell, Teal'c, Daniel, and Landry were already in the room as Jack entered. A captain and lieutenant Jack didn't know were sitting in the chairs across from SG-1. Jack glanced out the window but the shield was down to prevent the visitors from seeing the stargate.

"Good timing, Jack. Have a seat." Landry waved Jack towards an available chair. "Captain Taylor and Lieutenant Mayes are here to update us."

"Where's Carter?" Jack didn't take the seat and instead looked around the table. Everyone except Teal'c looked down at the table. Jack's stomach clenched.

"Colonel Carter was found deceased in her home this morning." Teal'c's calm words made Jack's head spin.

"What?" Jack whispered his question.

"I'm sorry, Jack, but I couldn't tell you over the phone." Daniel looked away from Jack.

"What happened?" Jack swallowed to keep the bile from rising too high.

"When Colonel Carter didn't arrive for this morning's briefing and didn't answer her phone I sent the rest of SG-1 to her home." Landry locked eyes with Jack as he spoke.

"Her house was locked tight but Jackson had a key. We let ourselves in and searched every room." Mitchell took a deep breath before he continued. "We found her in her bedroom. She'd been shot. She'd been dead a while by the time we arrived."

"What the hell happened?" Jack slapped the table and sat in the closest chair. "Who did it? Who killed Carter?" Jack's shock was hidden behind his military mask but his friends felt his despair.

Captain Taylor cleared his throat. "We're processing the evidence we collected earlier today. It will be a couple weeks before an official report is complete but we suspect it was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. "

"There's no way in hell!" Jack pushed himself up from the chair as he screamed. The captain shrank back in his chair. "Tell him damn it!" Jack sought support from Daniel and Teal'c.

"I concur with O'Neill. Colonel Carter would not take her own life." Teal'c nodded his head once.

"Exactly!" Jack waved his hand in Teal'c's direction. "Find another answer!" Jack glared at the captain.

"We will explore all the possibilities, sir. My team is thorough and we go where the evidence takes us. I assure you we won't jump to any conclusions." The captain sat taller as he defended himself and his forensics team.

"Sit down, Jack…please." Landry appealed to Jack. Jack hesitated.

"Fine, but I'm telling you she'd never kill herself. Never!" Jack sat down and began loudly drumming his fingers on the table. He was barely keeping himself restrained. Jack glanced back at the window, wishing he could see the stargate.

"Captain, please tell us what you've found so far." Landry looked at the slightly shell shocked captain as he spoke.

Captain Taylor opened a manila folder and scanned the pages inside. "Colonel Carter's approximate time of death was early Saturday morning. We estimate she died between 0200 and 0600, but that's a rough estimate. There was an entrance wound just left of her sternum. The exit wound was in her back and a 45 slug was found in the wall behind her bed. Colonel Carter was found partially sitting up on her bed. An autopsy will be performed here at the SGC to determine the exact cause of death, although the evidence suggests exsanguination due to explosive heart failure."

Daniel's brow creased in confusion. "Heart failure as in heart attack?"

"No, Daniel! As in a bullet punched a big hole in her heart and all the blood in her body flowed out." Jack's temper flared.

"Oh." Daniel looked back down at the table.

"Please continue, Captain." Landry ignored Jack's outburst. If Jack hadn't done it Mitchell would have and then Landry wouldn't have been able to avoid giving some kind of verbal reprimand.

"Yes, sir. A colt 45 was clutched in Colonel Carter's right hand. Tests indicate the weapon had been recently fired. There was also gunpowder residue on Colonel Carter's hand, indicating she recently fired a weapon."

"Not uncommon in her line of work." Jack glared at the Captain.

"Of course, sir." The Captain nodded. "No items appear to be missing from Colonel Carter's home, but I would appreciate it if you could go through her belongs and confirm all items are accounted for. I also wanted to take this opportunity to go back over a few details with you gentlemen, since you found Colonel Carter."

Teal'c, Daniel, and Mitchell all nodded in unison.

"How did you gain entrance to Colonel Carter's home?" Lieutenant Mayes took notes as Captain Taylor asked questions.

"I used my key." Daniel answered without looking up.

"How long have you had a key to Colonel Carter's home?"

"Seven or eight years at least." Daniel looked over at Jack as he answered.

"How often have you used it to gain entrance to her home?"

"It's been pretty rare actually. I think three, maybe four times." Daniel nodded his head.

The lieutenant kept writing as the captain continues to ask questions. "Does anyone else have a key?"

"We all do." Jack grumbled his response.

"Well…actually…I don't." Mitchell offered.

"Nor do I." Landry avoided Jack's stare as he spoke.

"What about family, other friends, or perhaps a boyfriend?"

"I don't know if her brother has a key. He's her only living relative…I mean like blood relative. Cassie has a key…but she's at college." Daniel rambled through his answer.

"Does she know?" Jack looked at the table, avoiding Daniel's eyes.

"I called her, but she wasn't in. I didn't want to leave a message." Daniel watched Jack avoiding eye contact.

"She should be told in person. You oughta go there tonight and bring her back." Jack sighed after he spoke.

"You should come with me. I don't want to be the one who has to tell her she's lost another mother." Daniel stared at Jack.

"I'm the executor of Carter's will. I need to stay here and begin working on the details." Jack used his finger to trace a pattern on the table, avoiding Daniel's gaping mouth and bug-eyed stare.

"Details!" Daniel glared at Jack.

"I'm sorry, sir, but who is Cassie?" The Captain drew Daniel's attention away from Jack.

Jack and Daniel both looked at Captain Taylor. Daniel spoke first. "Janet adopted Cassie several years ago after Cassie's family died. Cassie went to live with Sam after Janet died. She still goes to Sam's when comes home on break."

"I see. How did Janet and Cassie's parents die?" The Lieutenant was writing as quickly as the Captain asked questions. The scratch of the pen was annoying Jack.

"Oh, for crying out loud! Cassie didn't have anything to do with this. Her parents died from disease and Dr. Fraiser was killed in the line of duty." Jack huffed and scowled.

"I'm sorry I had to ask General, but it's part of being thorough." The Captain looked up from his folder as he spoke to Jack.

"Thorough is important." Jack grumbled. "It's especially important when you're thoroughly finding out who murdered Carter." Jack's fists balled on the table but he restrained his desire to hit something.

"I will need access to Colonel Carter's personnel file, sir." Captain Taylor addressed General Landry.

"Of course. I'll instruct Sergeant Ayers to grant you access to the database. Everything you need should be in there." Landry nodded grimly.

"Will that include her medical files?"

"I'll call the infirmary. Our CMO can let you have access to anything relevant."

"I'll need everything."

"I'm afraid that isn't possible, Captain. There are parts of Colonel Carter's medical history that are classified."

The captain grimaced. "Then I request that your CMO be assigned to my forensics team for the time being. That way he or she will have access to our investigation and can share what is relevant from both the autopsy as well as Colonel Carter's medical history. If your CMO is not part of the investigation they might unknowingly hold back information that could be useful."

Landry nodded in agreement as the captain spoke. "That's acceptable. I'll let her know. I think we all need some down time. I expect everyone to return tomorrow at 1600 for another briefing. In the meantime, I want SG-1 to go through Colonel Carter's home. Remove any classified information and make sure nothing is missing. Dismissed."

Jack blocked Captain Taylor's path to the door. "I want to see her."

"After the autopsy tomorrow morning you can see her. Until then we have to preserve the chain of custody and prevent contamination." Jack didn't respond verbally but his face tightened. "I'm sorry, sir, but I have to do this if you want the truth." Captain Taylor stood tall.

Jack nodded and let Captain Taylor continue to the door.

"You can stay at my place tonight, Jack." Daniel moved next to Jack and touched his elbow.

"We can stop at Carter's on the way." Jack turned towards the door.

"What?" Daniel followed Jack out the door. "Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Positive." Jack hit the elevator call button harder then necessary. Daniel glanced at Teal'c. They both followed Jack onto the elevator.

Few words were exchanged on the drive. Teal'c slowly pulled up in front of Sam's house. All three men stared the young airman stationed at the door.

Daniel leaned forward from the back seat. "It's bad Jack."

"I know." Jack opened his door. Daniel and Teal'c climbed out of the car after him.

"Real bad."

"I get it Daniel."

The airman checked their identification badges before allowing them into Sam's house, not because he didn't know them, but because he knew it was expected. He was determined to show he was doing his job well. Until the house was cleared of all potentially classified items an airmen had to remain stationed at the door to prevent all people without the appropriate clearance from entering.

Jack walked through the foyer, down the hall and past the living room. Daniel and Teal'c followed closely. Jack slowed as he got closer to her bedroom.

"You don't have to do this right now Jack." Daniel's words spurred Jack forward. The door to her bedroom was open. Jack stood in the doorway and surveyed the bed and wall behind the headboard. The sheets and covers from Sam's bed were missing, probably collected as evidence. The mattress remained. The large bloodstain near the top edge of the mattress was only one indicator of how much blood Sam had lost. The blood had dripped off the bed leaving large pools on the floor. Blood and tissue was sprayed across the wall. Jack leaned against the doorframe.

Daniel put his hand on Jack's shoulder. "Let's go home and get some rest. Tomorrow will be a long day."

Jack nodded. "I'll call Mike. He'll get a team in here as soon as we get them clearance."

"Mike?"

"His cleaning service specializes in…tough jobs." Jack closed his eyes.

"Oh. Even…this…tough?"

"Yeah, I've worked with him before." Daniel winced, sorry he brought up old memories. Jack pulled out his cell as the three men walked back to the SUV.

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	2. Sam's House

Chapter Two:

Jack closed his cell phone and used the visor mirror to look at Daniel. "Daniel, weren't you going to call Cassie and let her know you're coming up to see her tomorrow?"

"I'd still rather not do this alone." Daniel sulked.

"I get that, but I have to be here tomorrow to supervise the clean up team and deal with the legal stuff before the briefing." Jack flipped his phone open again.

Daniel sighed and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. Jack talked to Landry about getting clearance for Mike and his team while Daniel quietly talked to Cassie. Teal'c went to the drive thru window of a fried chicken joint near Daniel's apartment and ordered a twenty-piece meal with potato wedges, corn, slaw, fruit salad, green salad, a gallon of tea, and a quart of lemonade. Daniel shook his head as Teal'c hand him bag after bag. Once Daniel's lap was full Teal'c gave Jack the tea and salad to hold.

Jack was still on the phone as Teal'c pulled into a parking space at Daniel's apartment. Daniel fumbled with his keys as he tried to maintain his tenuous grip on two bags of food. Jack kept talking while Teal'c patiently waited for Daniel to open the door.

Teal'c began filling his plate as Jack put away his phone.

"Everything's set for tomorrow morning. When are you leaving to go see Cassie?" Jack asked as he watched Daniel pull out three plastic cups from the cabinet beside the sink.

"The first thing she mentioned when I asked her how she was doing was her differential equations exam tomorrow afternoon. She's really worried about it, although I doubt she has any reason to be worried. I told her I'd call back tomorrow to see how she does on it." Daniel kept his back to Jack as he told his version of the conversation.

"You chickened out. You're determined to not do this so you found an excuse!" Jack slammed his palm flat on the kitchen counter. Teal'c kept placing food on his palte, which was beginning to sag.

Daniel's chest puffed out, he turned around and stood straight. "That's not true! You don't want to do it either. That's why you're finding excuses to stay here!"

"We shall all attend to Colonel Carter's house tomorrow. After the briefing we will go together to the group residency of young Cassandra and fracture the information to her." Teal'c walked out of the kitchen towards the living room.

"He knows it's break the news." Daniel handed Jack an empty cup.

"I think he does it just to annoy us. Don't you have any adult beverages?" Daniel shook his head no. Jack picked up the sweet tea and poured himself a cup. "Teal'c did you think you were feeding an army?" Teal'c ignored the comment and searched for a show on cable. Daniel and Jack each put a little food on their plates and sat across the room from Teal'c. The three men ate in silence and watched a Star Trek Next Generation rerun.

Daniel watched Jack pick at his chicken. He was concerned about how Jack was going to accept Sam's death at her own hand. Teal'c went back for thirds while Commander Data was practicing his jokes on a holographic stage.

"Jack, you've been gone a while." Daniel sucked in a shallow breath when Jack cut his eyes towards Daniel.

"Just say it Daniel." Jack clinched his fist around his tea and wished he had a beer.

Daniel took another breath and straightened his back. "Things have been different lately. You haven't been here to see it."

"And you would be telling me this why?" Jack's jaw tensed as he leaned back in his chair and tried to appear relaxed.

"I want you to be prepared if the evidence indicates it was suicide."

"Prepared! You want me to be prepared!" Jack leaned forward, and placed his elbows on his knees. Tea sloshed out of his cup as he jerked forward. "You can't seriously tell me you think Carter killed herself. She's the most stable of all of us!"

Daniel shook his head and looked over at Teal'c who remained motionless on the sofa. "The old Sam was a rock most of the time. Lately Sam's been…different."

Jack's cheeks pufferd out as he blew a breath from between his puckered lips. "How do you mean different?"

"Moody…depressed. She'd been unhappy for weeks. We all tried talking to her. General Landry finally ordered her to see a psychiatrist. As you can imagine that didn't help cheer her up." Daniel ran a finger around the edge of his cup as he spoke. Teal'c nodded in agreement.

"I am afraid Daniel Jackson speaks the truth. Colonel Carter has not appeared happy for some time and she was unwilling to disclose the source of her discomfort. She was a proud warrior and like others with whom she was close she would not easily reveal her feelings."

Jack stood up and paced the small living room. "That doesn't make sense. I talked to her Friday night and she was fine. She seemed happy to me. It was an upbeat conversation."

Daniel watched his friend pace. "What time Friday night did you talk to her?"

"It was one in the morning Colorado time." Jack leaned on a bookshelf and watched as Daniel pondered Jack's answer.

"You were probably the last person to talk to her. Are you sure she didn't say something that might have indicated something was wrong? Did you say something to her that she might have taken the wrong way? I mean…you know how much your opinion mattered to her."

"So now you think I drove her over the edge!" Jack pushed off the bookshelf so hard it shook. Daniel stood up and held his hands out in front of him in a protective stance.

"Of course not! I know you'd never deliberately do anything to hurt Sam." Daniel's eyes widened as Jack fumed.

"Nothing on purpose, but I'm thick headed enough to do it on accident, huh?"

"That's not what I meant and you know it. I know you're angry but don't take it out on me just because I'm trying to let you know everything wasn't ok." Daniel pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Why didn't either of you call me?" Jack looked from Daniel to Teal'c.

"I did not believe Colonel Carter's trouble warranted an escalation in intervention. This error in judgment weighs heavily upon me. You entrusted Colonel Carter's safety to me and I failed you. I do not ask your forgiveness, and if you offered it I would not accept it." Teal'c took his plate and cup to the kitchen.

Jack rubbed his hand over the back of his neck and glared at the wall. "Let's wait and hear what the forensics team comes up with before we start trying to lay blame."

Daniel shook his head. "How about we try to not place blame at all?"

"I will find out who did this and they'll pay." Jack picked up his dishes and followed Teal'c into the kitchen. Daniel loaded the dishwasher while Teal'c put what small amount of food remained in the refrigerator. Jack went out on Daniel's balcony and looked towards Cheyenne Mountain. Sam's life revolved around that mountain and in his gut Jack knew something about that same mountain resulted in her death. Images of her smiling face flashed through his head. He could hear her laugh in the breeze. He felt her hands…

Daniel opened the door to the balcony. "Teal'c and I are calling it a night. He's taking the sofa bed. The guest room is ready for you."

"Thanks." Jack kept his back to Daniel. Daniel shook his head as he closed the door. Jack slumped forward and leaned on the railing once he heard Daniel's steps fading away.

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	3. The Scene

Chapter Three: Clearing the House

A yellow van was parked outside Sam's house when the guys arrived the next morning. Daniel guzzled his coffee as he opened his car door. Jack wiped a hand over his face and stretched as he stepped onto Sam's yard. Teal'c locked his SUV and stood in front of the vehicle waiting for Jack to move towards the van.

"Jack!" A middle-aged, large-chested, firmly built man with thinning hair walked around the van towards Jack. "I'd say nice to see you, but I doubt you'd agree."

"Mike, thanks for coming on such short notice." The two men shook hands. "I have badges for you and the three men you said you were bringing."

"They'll be here in about an hour. I wanted to check out the scene and radio back to let them know what equipment to bring."

"Makes sense. Let's get this started." Jack led the way into Sam's house. An airman who was younger but just as enthusiastic as last nights carefully examined their badges and permitted their entrance. Jack and Mike went straight to the bedroom. Teal'c followed the two men but kept a respectable distance. Daniel stopped in the living room and looked at the pictures on Sam's mantel.

Mike examined the bedroom from the bedroom doorway and shook his head. "This is pretty bad. I'm guessing it was a while before the victim was discovered."

"Yeah." Jack's jaw tightened as he nodded his head.

"You said on the phone she was a friend. Were you close?" Mike stepped farther into the bedroom.

"She was my second in command for eight years." Mike looked up at Jack.

"That's tough. Sorry, Jack. Do they know what happened?" Mike walked to the far side of the bed. He stepped around the large dried pool of blood and peeked in the bathroom.

"The investigation is on going but they've collected all the evidence from the house they need. No geeks will be getting in your way." Jack continued to scowl.

"That's good. I guess your opinion on geeks hasn't changed much over the years, huh?"

Jack grinned slightly. "You might be surprised how it's changed…in a few select cases." Mike puzzled over Jack's response but didn't probe any further.

"I'll radio the guys from the van and let them know what to bring. You'll need new carpet. We won't have any choice but pull it up. I'll let you know about the condition of the floorboards after we get a good look at them. Jimmy'll fix the wall but the headboard is beyond our ability. The mattress is toast. You'll have to replace it." Mike looked around the room again. "It'll take us a few hours but when we're done it'll be as good as new."

Jack nodded. "Do whatever you have to." Jack turned and left the room. Teal'c had waited in the hall as the men spoke. Jack easily passed Teal'c but Mike wasn't sure he could get by without bumping into the overbearing man.

"Excuse me." Teal'c didn't move so Mike pressed his back against the wall in order to squeeze his large chest past the tall bulky alien.

"Interesting team you've got, Jack. Where'd you round up the big guy?" Mike glanced back at Teal'c, who was several paces behind the pair.

"In a galaxy far, far away."

Mike grinned. "It's nice to know you haven't lost your sense of humor." Mike headed out the front door to the van so he could radio his men. Jack watched Daniel running his index finger along the edge of a picture of Janet.

"That's not going to get us through this and out of here in time for the briefing." Jack watched Daniel spin around.

"Sorry Jack. They were so close."

"Yeah, I know. It's ok. You take this room and the kitchen. Look for anything that might hint at confidential information such as those pictures. There's no reason to leave behind evidence of whom Sam worked with in the mountain. Teal'c you take the office and spare bedroom. I'll start on the master bedroom and bathroom."

Teal'c bowed slightly and headed out to the SUV to get boxes. Daniel passed Mike as he followed Teal'c outside. Jack met Mike inside the door.

"You guys must be into some really classified stuff."

"What makes you say that?" Jack shrugged.

"Oh, I don't know. It could be the security. Do you suspect she was killed because of her work?"

"If you're smart enough to realize we are into classified stuff, then you're smart enough to know I can't tell you anything." Jack turned his back on Mike and headed back to Sam's bedroom.

"It was worth a shot!" Mike yelled at Jack's retreating form. "I'm gonna wait out front so I can give the guys their badges!"

Teal'c carried a dozen boxes through the front door as Mike yelled to Jack. Teal'c bumped into Mike made no move to apologize. Daniel witnessed the bump over the three empty boxes he was carrying into the house.

"Sorry about that. Tensions are pretty high right now, and T is pretty protective of his team." Daniel paused in the doorway and addressed Mike. It's possible he feels like if he'd protected her better we wouldn't be doing this today."

"Don't worry about it. I've seen lots of people react to horrible situations over the years. It comes with the job. Nothing would really phase me now…not even an overprotective giant from a galaxy far, far away." Mike went back out to the van as Daniel's head shot up and his eyes widened. Mike missed Daniel's shocked look, which was good since Daniel's reaction might have made Mike even more curious.

By two in the afternoon Mike's team finished cleaning the bedroom and left. There was no trace of blood and if the mattress and headboard were replaced no one would know a horrendous death had occurred in this room. Daniel and Teal'c finished their rooms and waited patiently in the living room while Jack searched through the bathroom drawers. It had taken him a long time to finish the bedroom because he had to work around Mike and his crew. It didn't help that memories kept assaulting him without his permission.

A couple hours earlier he found her riding leathers hanging in her closet. She took him riding once and he loved it. He never told her about the bike he owned before Charlie was born. Sarah never liked it and after Charlie was born she begged him to stop riding around the curvy mountain roads so he sold it.

"Teal'c and I have been done for a while. We'll need to get going soon." Daniel smirked as Jack closed the top of Sam's body wash and acted like he hadn't been caught sniffing it.

"I'll be done in a few minutes. You guys go ahead and put everything in Teal'c's car." Jack put the bottle down and looked over his shoulder as Daniel disappeared around the side of the bathroom door. Jack sighed and looked around the bathroom. He couldn't believe they'd search her whole house in half a day. It should have taken longer. She deserved more than half a day. Jack taped up the last box and carried it outside.

Jack looked at the airman still guarding Carter's front door. "Lock up behind us. I'll be back this evening."

"Yes, sir." The young enlisted man pulled out a set of keys, turned to the door, and immediately followed Jack's order.

The ride to base wasn't quiet. Daniel found several items of interest at Sam's and talked about each of them. He didn't know Sam had kept the picture Cassie painted for her while she was living at the SGC. She had a picture of Rosha that Martouf must have given her. He also found the small device that displayed a holographic image of Narim. Jack's mood slumped further as Daniel went on about his discoveries.

Teal'c pulled into a spot not far from the mountain's entrance.

"You two take these boxes to Sam's lab. I'm going down to the infirmary." Jack stepped out of the vehicle.

Daniel jumped out. "Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Yes, Daniel. Just get this stuff inside. I'll see you at the briefing." Jack left Teal'c and Daniel behind as he hurried into the mountain.

Jack walked into the infirmary and scanned the room until he found her. "Doc." Jack went towards the petite woman in the long flowing white coat.

"General O'Neill. I was told to expect you this afternoon. We finished the autopsy this morning. I want to tell you what to expect before you see her." Doctor Lam craned her neck and looked up at Jack's face.

"I know damn well what to expect. Just take me to her." Jack look towards the door and avoided Lam's concerned gaze.

"This is different than seeing a friend die in the field. After an autopsy a person has been …" Dr. Lam blocked his path to the door as she spoke.

"I've seen people after autopsies. I know what to expect. Let's go." Jack looked down at her, and although she wasn't afraid of Jack she knew the look on his face said he meant business. She spun around and headed out the door. Years earlier Dr. Fraiser turned one of the isolation rooms into a morgue. Sadly it was needed often enough to justify its existence. The irony that Janet had ended up in the room she fought so hard to create wasn't lost on Jack.

Jack slowly stepped into the cool room. He followed the doctor to the cloth-covered table near the back of the room. Dr. Lam slowly pulled the cloth back far enough to uncover Sam's face only. Jack gazed down at Sam's pale still face.

Dr. Lam backed out of the room as Jack reached out and touched her cheek. Jack didn't glance back as he heard the door latch. He knew he was alone with Sam.

"I'll find out what happened, Sam. I know you didn't do this. You were happy. I know you were happy. You couldn't have faked the way your face lit up when I asked you to…well, you know. I won't let them remember you as having taken your own life. If it's the last thing I ever do, I'll…" Jack stopped talking as his hand pushed her bangs back off her forehead. He leaned far forward and ran his finger over her hairline. Jack pulled back as if he'd been burned. He took two steps backwards before he grabbed the door and threw it open. Dr. Lam, who'd waited patiently in the hall, was startled by his sudden appearance.

Jack went past her to the elevator. She could tell he was very agitated and internally berated herself for not finishing her speech about what a person looks like after an autopsy. She went in and covered Sam's face and left for the briefing. The whole room was in chaos when she arrived.

"I'm telling you that thing in the morgue isn't Carter! Didn't any of you notice a switch had been made?" Jack's face reddened in anger as he yelled at the top of his well-trained lungs.

"Jack!" General Landry's voice cut through Jack's tirade. "Please sit down and tell us what you're talking about."

Jack breathed deeply and glanced around the room before sitting down. Teal'c and Daniel looked concerned; afraid their friend had gone over the edge. Captain Taylor and Lieutenant Mayes looked shaken but the captain was trying hard to hide it. Dr. Lam caught the tail end of the yelling. She scooted around Jack's chair to her usual seat.

"That _thing_ laying in the infirmary isn't Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter." Jack spaced the words out deliberately trying to sound calm and rational.

"Tell us how you know that Jack." Landry maintained eye contact with Jack ignoring the looks of disbelief from around the room.

"Six weeks ago Carter was in Washington for a meeting. We were making dinner and I left a kitchen cabinet open as I was getting out some glasses. When Carter turned around to get a spatula from the drawer she hit her head on the cabinet door. She had a gash at her hairline that wouldn't stop bleeding. My neighbor's a doctor and he took us over to his office after hours and glued the cut. That skin glue is really neat. It…"

"Jack!" Daniel glared at Jack as he got off the topic.

"Right. He told her it would only leave a small scar. She had a lump and a bruise the next morning. She said it looked worse than it felt." Jack winced slightly as he thought how tender her head must have been.

"What's your point Jack?" Daniel waved his hands to push Jack to a resolution.

"My point, Daniel, is that _thing_ in the morgue doesn't have a scar…not even a small one. _That_ isn't the Carter who hit her head in my kitchen six weeks ago. Did you ever see the bruise on her forehead?" Jack lifted his hands and gestured back in Daniel's direction.

"No, but if it was at her hairline it might have been covered by her hair." Daniel looked towards Dr. Lam for confirmation. Dr. Lam looked back through Sam's most recent medical history as the men argued.

"I see no mention of a laceration to Colonel Carter's head or face in the past two months. It isn't something I would have missed. Knowing Colonel Carter's respect for regulations I doubt she would have failed to mention being treated by a physician outside of the SGC." Dr. Lam flipped further through the file. "She went through a pre-mission medical check three days after returning from Washington."

"Wait a minute." General Landry looked from Jack to Dr. Lam. "If that's not Colonel Carter, who is it?"

"It might be better to ask, 'what is it.' I'll have to run some tests, but it's possible we're dealing with a clone." Dr. Lam met General Landry's bug-eyed stare.

"A clone!" General Landry showed his displeasure. "But how?"

"Yeah. I'd love to know how some crazy nut got Carter's DNA!" Jack leaned forward.

"Getting the DNA is easy. That's not what has me concerned." Dr. Lam continued to page through Colonel Carter's medical record.

"Have the security protocols in the infirmary changed so much since I left that somebody can just walk out with a tube of blood?" Jack raised his hands into the air, exasperated with Dr. Lam's response.

Dr. Lam immediately looked up and scowled at Jack. "Security protocols are firmly in place and no one has ever removed a vial of blood from my infirmary. Getting DNA is easy. Anybody could go through Colonel Carter's trash and get a soda can or used tampon and get plenty of…"

"Eeeeew." Jack's nose crinkled and he leaned his head back slightly. "TMI!"

General Landry's brow creased in confusion. "TMI?"

Jack shrugged. "Too much information."

Daniel smirked. "AKA TMTWC." A room full of puzzled faces turned towards Daniel. "Also known as too much time with Cassie."

Jack glared at Daniel and then turned his attention back to Dr. Lam. "Ok, so getting the DNA is easy, disgusting but easy. What is it that has you concerned?"

Dr. Lam took a deep breath and surveyed the room. All eyes were on her. The captain and lieutenant seemed especially confused. "In our past cloning experiences, the person being cloned had to be present so the neural information could be duplicated. There are several races that have the technology to clone Colonel Carter without her being present but duplicating her neural patterns and giving the clone Colonel Carter's memories would probably require her presence. We need to not only determine who would do this but also figure out when it happened so we can narrow down how much information whoever did this might possess."

Captain Taylor broke the silence that followed Dr. Lam's short speech. "So you mean the Colonel Carter who took her own life isn't the real Colonel Carter?"

"Don't ever let anyone tell you you're slow on the uptake." Mitchell enjoyed finally joining the discussion.

The captain was still confused. "So why send in a _clone_ and have it commit suicide?"

Jack looked directly at Teal'c. "Somebody went to a lot of trouble to make us believe Carter's dead. Who has the technology to clone, transfer memories, and would want us to believe Carter's dead?"

Teal'c slightly bowed his head in Jack's direction. "Ba'al has numerous clones currently occupying this area of space. His time spent serving Anubis allowed him access to the technology of both the Ancients and Asgard. Though I am unsure what reason he would have for wanting us to believe in Colonel Carter's premature expiration."

Jack rubbed the side of his face and stared off towards the far wall. "Yeah, Ba'al boy was my first choice too. Sam's outsmarted him on a few occasions, and when they worked together to get rid of the Replicators I think she impressed him. He knows we'd come after her if we thought she was alive. Maybe he figured if he convinced us she was dead, he'd be able to keep her."

Mitchell leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "That makes sense. So what do we do? We've had teams searching for Ba'al since we discovered he was on Earth, and we haven't found anything."

Teal'c grunted. "Ba'al underestimates Colonel Carter. She will escape and lead us to him when his arrogance gets too great."

General Landry nodded. "You're probably right Teal'c, but I don't want to wait that long."

Jack stood up and paced the room. "I agree, but until we locate her we have to play along with this charade."

"Play along?" Daniel watched Jack in confusion. "You want us to act like Sam's dead?"

Jack stopped and faced the table. "I sure do. Captain, I want you and your team to finish your report exactly as planned. I assume you decided that thing died of a self-inflicted wound."

The captain nodded affirmatively but didn't speak.

"Good. File your report just as planned with no mention of this discussion." Jack leaned on the table and glared at the captain and lieutenant. "If word of this discussion leaves this room I'll know who to track down. Do I make myself clear?"

Both men nodded their heads and gulped.

"Good. You're both dismissed." Jack stood back up and walked towards the large window, still covered by gray metal.

The two men stood and glanced at General Landry. With a slight nod of his head, General Landry confirmed Jack's order. The two men went down the spiral stairs and out to the elevator.

"Ok, Daniel. I want you to go see Cassie as planned, but I want you to tell her truth. I don't want to drag her through the wringer unnecessarily."

Dr. Lam interrupted Jack. "Do you think it's wise to involve a child in this?"

Jack looked at the doctor and grimly nodded. "She's not a child, and she knows how to keep a secret. I'm going to plan Carter's funeral for Friday. We'll bury that thing laying the morgue. While I'm getting the funeral planned I want you three to very quietly track down when the clone switched places with Carter. Once the funeral is over, I'll pretend to go to the cabin as planned. In reality I'll be following up on any leads you discover."

Jack leaned on the table and surveyed the faces around the room. "Any questions?"

Daniel nodded yes. "What if you're being watched and they realize you don't go to the cabin?"

"Good point. I'll take care of that. Daniel, you and Teal'c go talk to Cassie now. If this is going to work she has to come to the funeral and act properly distraught. When you get back help Mitchell track down when and where this switch occurred."

Daniel and Teal'c left for the surface. Mitchell followed Dr. Lam to the infirmary to get more information on exactly when Colonel Carter didn't have a scar on her head. Jack got Sergeant Harriman's help with the funeral arrangements.

**My favorite new vid is uninvited by nikibbo. Check it out at http/nikibbo(dot)com.**


	4. The funeral and beyond

Chapter Four: The funeral and beyond 

Friday was a beautiful sunny temperate day; an obvious sign Sam wasn't really being buried. Jack was sure the heavens would released torrential rains on the day of Sam's funeral because it was only appropriate that the world mourn her passing.

Daniel comforted a sobbing Cassie at the graveside service. General Hammond, General Landry, and Jack stood stoically in a line as Mark was presented with Sam's flag. Poor Mark was not aware that it was not his sister being placed in the ground on this day. Jack decided he was too great a security risk. Behind Mark stood Pete Shanahan. Pete's sorrow struck a cord in Jack. He wasn't happy to see him but liked knowing Pete cared enough for Sam to be here.

General Landry held the wake at his home, since Jack no longer owned a home in Colorado and Daniel only had an apartment. The majority of the off duty SGC personnel showed up for both the funeral and the wake. Jack spared no expense, just as if it was all real. Bouquets of roses, lilies, tulips, and carnations surrounded the grave and alcohol flowed freely at the wake. Jack's mood was intensely somber, and this he didn't have to fake.

Jack was anxious to begin the search for Sam. All the hullabaloo surrounding the fake funeral was necessary but he still felt like it was just wasting precious time. He was tired of waiting for everyone to figure out they had over stayed their welcome.

"Let's go, Daniel." Jack walked up between Daniel and one of the geeks from Sam's lab at Area 51. The geek looked stunned at Jack's rudeness, but Daniel was only surprised it had taken this long.

"I'm right behind you." Daniel apologized to the scientist and followed Jack towards the door. Jack was slowed down on his approach to the door by well-wishers, giving Daniel a chance to get Cassie's attention and catching up. Daniel, Cassie, Teal'c, Jack and Mitchell left the wake and went to Daniel's apartment.

"Based on these airline records, Sam got on a direct flight from Washington to Denver. The plane was diverted to Chicago and ordered to land. Sam was called off the plane but she returned twenty minutes later. The flight resumed as scheduled. It landed in Denver and Sam took a puddle jumper to Colorado Springs. We saw the video footage of her picking up her bags in Colorado Springs. When we zoomed in we didn't see any sign of a cut or bruise." Mitchell put down the pad he'd taken notes on. "We assume the switch happened in Chicago but it could have happened in Denver. We didn't have access to the Chicago or Denver footage if any exists."

Mitchell finished and looked over at Daniel, an indication it was his turn to take over the story. "The security tapes at the SGC confirm it was the clone that returned from Washington. Teal'c didn't see any evidence she was snooping into anything unusual or setting booby traps. There was a definite decline in her level of happiness that I assume was intended to help us believe she'd take her own life. I don't think there is anything more on the SGC footage that would help you find her."

Jack nodded his head. "I'll start in Chicago. Do you have the flight crew roster?" Mitchell flipped through his notes, took out a sheet, and handed it to Jack. "Good. I'll talk with the flight crew and review the security footage in Chicago. If I get confirmation the switch happened in Chicago, then I'll start working on where she could have been taken. I need you guys to keep working on why she was taken."

Cassie grew impatient as she watched the exchange. "What can I do?"

Jack looked over at her and sighed. "You can go back to school."

Cassie jumped to her feet and glared at Jack. "There's no way I can just go back to class now, knowing Sam's out there somewhere, and you all are looking for her."

Daniel reached up and gently grasped her arm. "You have to, Cassie. If you don't go back to school, it will look suspicious. We all have to look like we are mourning her loss, but getting back to business like she'd expect."

Daniel gave her his best puppy dog look, and she slumped back onto the sofa. "Fine, but you better keep me up to date." Cassie crossed her arms and huffed. Daniel nodded and put his arm around her.

Jack left the room and returned with a plain brown box. He opened the box and handed out cell phones. "We have to assume our phones are being monitored. These little babies have special security features that should help prevent eavesdropping. They're not foolproof, but it's better then what we currently have. These are the only phones we should use to communicate about Carter. We should continue to contact each other on a regular basis using our usual phones and sound grief stricken. It's all part of keeping up the act."

Daniel watched the nods around the room and decided he couldn't put off asking one last question. "How long do you think we have to do this?"

Jack sighed and glanced at Daniel out of the corner of his eye. "We'll do it for as long as it takes, but we'll do our best to get her back as quickly as possible."

Daniel sighed. "That's a non-answer Jack. It's not like you can put off Washington indefinitely."

"You find out what Ba'al's up to, and I'll deal with Washington." Daniel shrugged his shoulders, but he accepted Jack's answer.

Jack drove up to his cabin the next day. He hauled his bags inside and turned on the lights. The cabin was chilly but not freezing. Jack heard a door close down the hall, so he dropped his bags.

"Hey, Siler. Did you have any trouble sneaking in?" Jack grinned at the technician as he walked down the hall.

"No sir. I parked the rental pickup truck behind the abandon barn a mile over like you said. The trail through the woods was easy to follow. I waited until dark and came in through the back. I haven't used any lights or built a fire."

Jack slapped him on the shoulder. "Good man. Now that I'm here you'll be able to live like a civilized man. When you go outside be sure and wear a hat and sunglasses. Stay out of town. I've brought you tons of supplies. A few more trips to the truck and you'll be set for a month."

Siler's eyes got wide. "A month sir?"

Jack shook his head. "I don't plan to be gone more than a week, but I wanted to be sure you had plenty of supplies. General Landry knows you're helping me with an assignment. If you need to speak with him or me, then use this secure phone and call us at these numbers. You can also use this it to keep in touch with family." Jack handed Siler a phone identical to the ones given to the other official members of the find Carter alive team.

"That won't be an issue, sir. I told the family I wouldn't be able to contact them and wasn't sure when I would return. General Landry will keep in touch with them for me."

Jack nodded his approval. "You're a good man, Siler. I couldn't do this without you."

Siler grinned. "I guess it doesn't matter that I don't know what you're doing."

Jack grinned. "It's better that way."

Siler put away the supplies as Jack unloaded his truck. After everything was put in its place the men ate dinner and waited for night to fall. Once it was dark outside, Jack snuck out of the cabin and made his way to the rental truck Siler stashed about a mile away. Jack drove to a small airstrip fifty miles from the cabin, where a small plane waited for its pilot, Charlie Jacobs. Jack registered at the airstrip under his new alias using his geek proof identification and took off for Chicago. He included a couple of brief stops at little airstrips along the way to throw off any attempts to track his movements.

**Big thanks to Nibikko for the beta. Any remaining mistakes are mine alone! The best way to thank her for me is look at her vids at http/nibikko(dot)com. **


	5. Jack's in Chicago

Chapter Five: Jack and the search in Chicago

Jack arrived at a small airstrip just outside Chicago. He called a cab and rented a room not far from the main the O'Hare airport. Jack called the lead flight attendant and confirmed that Sam had gotten off the plane in Chicago and then got back on about twenty minutes later. She hadn't noticed any differences in Sam's demeanor or appearance.

The next morning Jack went to O'Hare. He wore his best black suit and carried a fake badge complete with authentic looking identification. He introduced himself as George Murray, an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He requested access to all information associated with Sam's flight. After they confirmed his identity with a friend of Jack's from the Bureau, airport security provided Jack with the voice tapes of the inbound telephone call to the airport requesting the flight be diverted, the tape of the pilot as he received the detour request, and the video that showed Sam being greeted by two men dressed in Air Force uniforms just after she exited the plane. Jack had all the materials copied and used a courier to send everything to Daniel.

Jack spent the whole day tracking Sam's movement through the airport. Video footage showed she was escorted from the terminal to a small office suite in the administrative section of the airport. The head woundless clone left the administrative suite alone and returned to the airplane. Jack reviewed the video of the administrative suite but never saw Sam or her two escorts leave the office area. Jack checked the video of the other office entrances but still didn't see her being taken out. He growled in frustration, but abruptly stopped when he noticed a baggage cart being driven up near the back exit from the building. A woman rolled out a dolly with a large crate on it. She struggled to lift the crate but finally managed to get it settled on the cart. Jack reviewed the footage three times before he realized what seemed off. The woman walked a lot like a man. Jack instinctively knew Sam was inside that box, and that the woman in the video was certainly no woman.

Jack tracked the movements of the crate to a hearse. Jack zoomed in on the hearse's license plate and wrote it down. It was late when he finished so he packed up, thanked airport security, and went back to his hotel. He'd been up for two straight days and he knew better than to let exhaustion ruin his search.

Daniel called Jack the next morning. Jack could hear Daniel's excitement as soon as he spoke. "We were right about the switch happening in Chicago. The Sam that got off the plane had a bruise on her head and the one who got back on the plane didn't. The voice that called the airport matched what we have recorded for Ba'al. We weren't able to identify either of the two men who escorted Sam away from the terminal but we're still working on it."

Daniel was out of breath so Jack took over the conversation. "I think they smuggled her out of the airport in a wooden crate they put in a hearse. I've got a license plate I want you to track down."

Jack gave Daniel the information and made him promise to call back as soon as he had something. Jack went to a nearby Waffle House for a huge breakfast while he waited on Daniel. He didn't wait long.

Jack had no intention of barging in on the Morton Funeral Home. If it was Ba'al's hideout Jack knew he couldn't walk in without alerting them to the fact they knew Sam wasn't dead. Jack loaded up with snacks and set himself up for surveillance duty. He watched the bereaved walk in and out all afternoon. There was no sign of Ba'al or anyone remotely Goa'uld looking. Jack stayed all night. The next morning he knew it was time to get more sleep. He figured there was less chance anything would happen during the day. He went back to his hotel to sleep and ate a big dinner before he returned to his stakeout.

Two days of surveillance left Jack with no additional clues. Daniel called regularly but nothing else helpful had been discovered. Tonight's call was different.

"Jack, we think we might know what Ba'al is planning!"

"Well don't keep me in suspense." Jack grumbled as he watched another mourning family leave the funeral home.

"Ba'al still has one gate in his possession. One that we never recovered back when he was stealing gates right and left."

"Uh huh."

"Well, now an Asgard ship has disappeared. They've been trying to locate it for the past two days without success."

Daniel paused dramatically as if he expected Jack to suddenly blurt out an answer. "Daniel I'm sleep deprived and hungry. Just get to the ah-ha part."

"Right…sorry. We think Ba'al might be planning the use the Asgard ship's computer to predict a solar flare and travel back in time."

Jack sat in stunned silence. "Back in time?"

"He might think that's the only way to return to power and change what's already happened. And who better to help him go back in time than Sam?"

"And not having her around also made it more likely we wouldn't figure out what he was doing." Jack mumbled.

"Exactly!" Jack was sure he heard Daniel smiling through the phone. "We're looking for the ship in orbit but…"

"But it's got a cloak and we've never been able to detect a cloaked Asgard ship before."

"Right again. You're on a roll today Jack! Loki is two days out but when he gets here he'll help us locate the ship." Daniel sounded like he was close to jumping up and down.

"And we're just supposed to hope Ba'al doesn't make his move in the next two days?" Jack frowned and hit his hand on the steering wheel.

"What else do you want to do? We can't tip our hand until we know where that ship is located." Daniel's voice was slightly apprehensive. He knew Jack wasn't a man who liked to wait.

"I'll call you back later." Jack hung up the phone without giving Daniel a chance to argue with him.

Jack went back to his hotel room and took a nap. He changed clothes and returned to the funeral home after business hours. The place looked closed up tight but Jack knew better. He was about to break into a Goa'uld nest of vipers.

Jack crept around the building, staying hidden behind the decorative rose bushes. There was a goon posted by the back door, not your usual after hours funeral home decoration. Jack moved to within three feet of the goon and threw a rock that landed just in front of the bush he hid behind. When the goon came over to investigate Jack surprised him with a chokehold that lasted until the guy passed out. Jack tied the guy up and gagged him so when he woke he wouldn't be able to cause any trouble. He rummaged through the guys right front pocket, found two sets of keys, and took them both.

Jack crawled towards the door staying clear of the windows. He stuck his head up and looked in the window closest to the back door. The alarm system had a green light on the panel, indicating it wasn't armed. Jack expected more resistance. Jack didn't see any movement inside, another ominous sign as far as Jack was concerned. He tested the door handle and it moved. An unlocked, poorly guarded entrance to a Goa'uld stronghold wasn't unheard of but it was rare and usually spelled trouble.

Jack stealthily entered the dark building. He heard voices coming from the other end of the building, so he moved closer to them. It sounded like there were three men discussing a televised football game. Jack peeked in the room to be sure the three guys didn't have any quiet friends with them. All three were enjoying the game and loudly debating the merits of each team's cheerleading uniforms.

Jack moved back down the hall to an office he'd passed on his way down the hall. He didn't risk turning on a light, which made the search of the room harder. Jack finished looking through the third desk drawer when he heard one of the guys shout.

"Tell Vinnie I don't appreciate his games. He better answer the radio when I call next time!" Jack hid behind the desk as one of the three men went past the office. Jack figured Vinnie was the guy he'd incapacitated at the back entrance meaning the gig was almost up. Jack needed a better hiding spot before the search for him started. He looked around the room and saw a small closet to his right. He made it inside just as the report on Vinnie's situation was radioed to the men watching football down the hall.

"What?" The television in the other room suddenly turned off. "You look around out there. We'll secure everything in here."

Jack heard the men searching room by room. They came into the office and looked around. The smaller guy came close to the closet but backed off before opening the door. As Jack shifted into the back corner he felt metal pressing into his back. Jack reached behind him and smiled at the familiar feel of a zat. He hadn't been able to bring one with him to Chicago because of the risk of being caught with alien technology outside the SGC but finding one in this closet meant he could use it. His night was beginning to look better.

After fifteen minutes spent searching the building, two of the goons came back to the office and turned on the lights. Jack watched them through the slits of the closet door. The taller man went over to a high table with a glass top that stood in the far corner of the room. He reached under the table and touched something. The table began to glow and the man set an Asgard stone on the now glowing table top. A picture on the wall behind the table lit up and Jack saw Ba'al's face appear.

"You have a report?" Ba'al was angry.

"Uh…yes, sir. Vinnie ran into some trouble tonight. Somebody tied him up and gagged him. He didn't see who did it. We've checked the place and no one's here." The tall guy stood a little taller as he spoke.

Ba'al was seething. "Check again. The people you could be dealing with are good. Better than you. Don't underestimate them."

The guy's shoulders sagged slightly. "Yes, sir."

The communication link shut down and the two goons scowled at the empty screen. "If this stupid job didn't pay so well I'd take him out myself instead of protecting him."

The shorter guy laughed. "Then you'd be an idiot. Anybody with technology like this can outsmart us and make our lives miserable. Let's go."

While these two were talking Jack cracked the closet door open and stuck out just the tip of the zat. He aimed and fired on the tall guy and then took down the second man before either had a chance to react. Jack stepped out from the closet and looked at the dark screen. He wrapped his hand around the oval control stone and the screen came back to life.

Thanks again to my wonderful beta nibikko. Not only is she a great beta but her vids rock. Prove it to yourself at http/nibikko(dot)com.


	6. Up, Up and Away

Chapter Six: Up, Up, and Away

Jack knew if he left now he'd make it out of the funeral home without being caught but that would put Sam's life in danger. Once Ba'al knew they were onto him, he'd get rid of Sam and run for it. Jack wouldn't leave Sam but if he disappeared without a word he wouldn't have helped her much, especially if failed to get her out. Jack placed the oval stone on the squiggly square symbol and pulled out his cell phone.

"Daniel. Just listen and do what I tell you." Jack watched the blips indicating life forms on the screen moving as he spoke.

"What's going on, Jack?"

"Daniel!" Jack hissed. "Didn't I just say listen? I'm in Ba'als headquarters. There's definitely an Asgard ship in orbit, and I'm going to transport myself there."

"You can't! We still don't have any way to detect it. Just give Loki two days!"

"I can't. I had to disable a few guys to get in here and there's no way to cover my tracks. If I leave now Sam will pay the price. Tell the geeks to watch for an energy pattern leaving Chicago and going up. That's where the ship will be."

Jack could here Daniel panting as he raced out of his lab and down the hall. "Give me ten minutes."

"You have five if I'm lucky." Based on the screen blips Jack located a quiet hallway with two escape routes to which he could transport. He knew if anyone on the ship were monitoring the transport system they'd see him arrive, but he had to take the risk.

"Good luck, Jack. Bring her home." Daniel puffed his best wishes.

"Easy as pie." Jack hung up. He studied the blips and checked his watch. Jack paid attention to which blips moved and which stayed in place. He gave Daniel six minutes. When he heard footsteps coming down the hall, Jack placed the oval stone on the three triangle symbols and vanished from the room in a flash of bright light.

Jack arrived on the Asgard ship holding the zat in front him ready to fire if necessary. He listened carefully and didn't hear anyone. He looked around to try and orient himself, which is difficult on a ship with an all silver interior and few distinguishing marks. Based on his observations of the blips, he deduced that Sam was being held in a room two floors up and to his left, near where a small number of Asgard seemed to be imprisoned.

Jack checked around every corner and carefully made his way up two levels. Jack knew the lack of blaring ship-wide alarms didn't mean they weren't looking for him. It just meant they were being quiet about it. If they knew he was here, then they knew where he was headed and things would get more difficult the closer he got. Twice he ducked into empty rooms to avoid patrols, but after fifteen minutes of slow progress he was on the right floor and within one hundred feet of where he hoped to find Sam.

Jack listened but he couldn't hear her voice, just silence. He would have felt better if he'd heard her and knew he was headed the right direction. Jack peered around the last corner and saw one man walking down the hall. As he reached the end he began to turn and Jack pulled out of sight. At least Ba'al had enough brains to station a guard near the cells. Jack thought too many Goa'uld never paid enough attention to Earth tactics and kept letting SG-1 easily escape. In a weird way he was glad Ba'al seemed to have been paying attention

Jack waited for the guard's steps to get close and then he flew around the corner aimed and zatted the guard. The guard went down with only a loud thump. Jack stepped over him and began searching the rooms for Sam. Usually he hated the fact that Asgard rooms were doorless but on this occasion it made his job much simpler. The first room was empty of occupants.

In the second room he saw a body curled up on a metal cot. Jack crept closer to the cot, surprised there wasn't a force shield of some type keeping him away. The blond hair above the thin blanket was the first sign he'd found Sam.

"Sam." Jack whispered her name and he knelt beside the cot. She didn't respond. He reached out and touched her shoulder. Her skin was chilled but warm enough to let him know she was alive. He pulled gently on her shoulder as he whispered her name again.

Sam rolled over. Her eyes blinked and then settled open in a squint. She frowned and tried to roll away. Jack didn't let go.

"Sam, I'm here to get you out." Jack whispered again.

Sam slightly shook her head and closed her eyes. She snorted a small puff of foul smelling breath hit Jack's face. He grimaced. Sam wasn't reacting like he expected, making him both frustrated and worried.

"You already put this stupid thing in my head. Why must you insist on playing games? I'm not going to tell you anything you can't just download." Sam sighed and another blast of foul breath hit Jack.

"I didn't ask you any questions and I'm not interested in interrogating you. I'm here to rescue you and like it or not you're coming with me." Jack pulled Sam to a sitting position. She didn't fight him but she also didn't help.

Sam sighed again as Jack stood to his full height and tried to get her to stand up. "This is a new low for you Ba'al. We both know I'm never leaving. You made sure of it, didn't you?" Sam pulled away and slumped back down on the bed. "Now leave me be."

Sam kicked out at Jack. Jack pulled back before she made contact. His eyes widened as he tried to process Sam's statement.

Jack pulled Sam back up to her feet and threw her over his shoulder. "Don't make me knock you out."

Sam stiffened and Jack let her slide back down so her feet touched the floor. She reached up and touched his cheek with the tips of her right fingers. Tears appeared in her eyes. "Oh my God. You're real."

Her words were emotion filled whispers of joy. "I can't believe you were really stupid enough to come after me." Sam looked around. "Are you alone?"

Jack grinned at her insolent tone. "I'm alone and I resent being called stupid."

Sam paled and pushed Jack away. "You have to leave now. Run! Please!" The fear on her face scared Jack.

"There's no way I'm…" Alarms began to blare. Jack turned towards the hall. Sam pushed on his shoulder, trying to get him to run. He turned back towards her.

"Don't you get it? That's why there's no force field and only one guard. He put a mind reading device in my head! He knows everything I know! He knows you're here!"

Jack's jaw tensed. "I'll be back." He backed away.

"Just go!" Sam took a step towards him and pushed hard. Jack stumbled to the edge of the room and peered out into the hall. He didn't see anyone so he pushed off the wall and started back down the hallway. He was almost to the corner when he heard Sam grunt. Jack spun around and saw Ba'al and Sam in the hall. His arm was tightening around Sam's throat.

Jack stopped dead in his tracks. He stood tall and smiled. "Long time no see Ba'al boy." Jack opened his arms as if he was welcoming home a long lost friend.

"It's good to see the desk job hasn't robbed you of your humor. It was always your humor I liked the most." Ba'al pointed a hand towards Jack and three huge men came from behind Ba'al and headed towards Jack. Jack dropped the zat and put up his hands in surrender. Ba'al relaxed his grip on Sam.

Ba'al pushed Sam back into her small room. Ba'al's men patted Jack down and threw him in after Sam. Ba'al touched a screen on the wall. The blue glow of the force field momentarily lit up as it was being activated. Jack snarled as Sam sunk back onto the cot.

Ba'al grinned his cruel sadistic grin. "I'm sure we'll enjoy each other's company...again."

"Haven't I always been the perfect guest?" Jack yelled as Ba'al retreated down the hall. Two of the massive men stayed behind as replacement guards. The third guy helped the guard Jack had stunned to stand up and walk down the hall and out of sight.

"So what's plan B, sir?" Jack sat on the edge of the cot as Sam lay down fully. She looked up at him and squinted. She was rubbing the side of her forehead with her left fingers.

"I'll let you know later. Does your head hurt?" Jack moved her bangs away from her eyes.

"Not too bad." The way Sam grimaced let Jack know she was lying.

"When you're in too much pain to lie convincingly I know it's bad." Jack caressed her face and she weakly smiled. "Rest."

Thanks to my beta nibikko. This time I am getting her name correct! Now you really ought to check out her website at nibikko(dot)com.


	7. Let the Torture Begin

Chapter Seven: Captured and hating it 

Jack paced the small room. There was a cot and a sink like contraption that slid out of the wall when you got close and what he assumed was supposed to be a toilet. The toilet noiselessly popped from the floor when Jack stepped on a gray circle that looked like it had been painted on the floor. Jack put the sink and toilet away by moving back towards the cot. He made them appear three times in a row before accepting they would come back whenever he needed them.

Jack only tested the force field once. It took ten minutes for him to get full feeling back in his arm. After pacing all he could pace he went back over to the cot. Sam shifted closer to the wall. Jack sat beside her.

"I'm sorry." Jack kept his eyes focused on the hall outside the force field.

"For getting stuck in a cell too small for you?" Sam's words were soft and full of affection. Jack took them just as they were meant.

He smiled and looked down at her hair. "For not getting you out."

"I'm going to assume you came alone and have no way of contacting the SGC. If I'm not right don't tell me because Ba'al can get anything out of my head he wants. If I am right don't tell me because that would just be depressing." Sam rolled over and gazed up at Jack. Jack moved his head so he could shield her eyes from the light that seemed to radiate from the whole ceiling.

"Then I'll tell you nothing you don't already know. You know I came to get you out and you know I'm a man of my word. One way or another we're getting out of here together." Jack reached down and burrowed under the blanket to find her hand. He was shocked to feel her shaking. Jack wasn't sure if it was fear or pain that was overloading her senses. He didn't really care why she was shaking, but he was determined to help her regain her balance.

"Fill me in on what's being going on with you for the last few weeks." Jack rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand.

"Weeks?" Sam's brow knitted as Jack shook his head yes. "I guess I lost track of time. How long has it been since I left you at the Washington airport?"

"Six weeks." Sam's eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly. Jack reached up and caressed her cheek.

"You've been looking for me for six weeks?"

Jack looked away from Sam. He knew lying was pointless, she knew him too well. "You were replaced by a freakin' clone. Apparently it did a great impersonation because I was called back to Colorado this week when the thing killed itself and everyone believed it was you. As soon as I realized it wasn't you we began a search." Jack looked back at her face, not sure what to expect.

Sam shifted her gaze to the bare gray wall. "It replaced me for six weeks?" Her words were a whisper, but Jack heard them and the pain that followed them.

"They sent it to the psycho doctor. They knew something was wrong but didn't know what." Jack let go of her hand, as she seemed to shrink under the covers.

"Did she fool you?"

It was the one question Jack didn't want to answer. He hated to admit he hadn't noticed. The fact that they'd only spoken on the phone a few times wasn't what she wanted to hear. She wanted to hear a lie. She wanted him to say their spiritual connection let him instantly know the creature that was hundreds of miles away wasn't really her, even when her best friends who were within inches had no idea.

Jack did what he does best. He changed the subject. "What's he done to you?" Sam didn't acknowledge his question. "Sam, if we're going to get out of this I need to know what's been going on up here."

Sam rolled over. There was fire in her eyes and Jack hoped that was a good sign. "Right. Back to business it is."

Sam pushed herself up and threw off the light blanket. She swung her feet over the side and sat beside Jack. Her shoulders were slumped but she was vertical. "He tricked the plane so it landed in Chicago. He kidnapped me. When I awoke I was on a Goa'uld ship. At some point I was moved here." Sam's arms flew up slightly.

Jack sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. "A few more details would be good."

"An airline representative met the plane when it was diverted. They asked me to accompany them to the main office to meet with a Colonel Richards. I was out cold a minute after I entered the office suite. I don't know how they got me to the ship."

"They put you in a crate, loaded you into hearse, and hid out in a funeral home that has been serving as their base of operation. There were transport rings in the funeral home."

Sam grimaced. "That's creepy."

Jack nodded his head in agreement. "So what happened after you woke up on the Goa'uld ship?"

Sam wrung her hands and looked down at the floor. "When I came to, I was bruised and my shoulder was dislocated. I was strapped to a table. Multiple Ba'al's would come and go. The method of torture varied but a favorite seemed to be burning. He used something similar to a pain stick that made my skin burn. It made me feel like my whole body was on fire. He kept changing the intensity so as soon as I began to find it tolerable he would adjust it."

Sam shuttered as she spoke. Jack put his arm around her shoulders and she winced. Jack lifted his arm. "He's never used a sarcophagus." Sam pulled her jacket off her shoulders and showed Jack the bruises from where the burning device was laid against her skin and Ba'al's hands had made repeated contact.

"There were a few times when I hoped he'd gone too far and I was about to die. On those rare occasions he used a healing device on me." Sam glanced over at Jack waiting for his disapproval. It never came.

"And this thought reading thing?" Jack focused on the men outside the force field.

"You know that spiky ball they put in Thor's head?" Sam watched Jack nod, acknowledging his understanding. "He inserted it through my nose."

Jack winced. "I assume that hurt."

"Oh, yeah. There was a lot of blood, which isn't unusual since it was my nose. Because I was lying flat, it went down my throat. I was choking on the blood and the taste was horrid. I had to hold down the bile or my throat would have closed and I would have died. I think I aspirated some blood. My breathing has been growing more difficult, of course the potentially broken ribs could be a factor in that as well."

Jack unconsciously rubbed his nose. "I've always wondered why the nose seems to bleed so much."

Sam smiled. "There are numerous blood vessels very close to the surface within your nose. The blood warms and moistens the air as it enters the respiratory passages. This helps your body prevent infection and decrease water loss. Mouth breathing skips these defensive mechanisms and can lead to more respiratory infections."

Jack grinned and glanced at Sam. "I should have asked years ago. So now that he's got that thing in your head, he knows everything you know?"

Sam shook her head no. "I don't think it works that way. If it did he would have stopped asking me questions and beating me. I think he has to get me thinking about the information he wants in order to be able to access it. He's tied it to a screen so I can watch what he steals."

Jack flinched. "That sounds all too familiar."

"Yep."

"I guess the headaches are related to the nasty spiky probe."

Sam nodded her head in agreement. "I assume the near constant pressure in my head is due to the extra volume now contained within my cranium. I still get nosebleeds when it's activated. At least he lets me sit up now. He also uses it to create images and thoughts. I heard you and Daniel arguing once. Janet briefly visited one day and a couple days ago I swore I smelled gunpowder and decay. There have been times when Ba'al wasn't touching me but I could feel his hands roaming over my body. He seems to get a lot of pleasure out of that particular game."

"I guess that explains why you didn't believe I was me. So were Daniel and I fighting about anything interesting?"

Sam shrugged her shoulders and looked away. "You didn't think I would want to ascend and Daniel thought it was my best option. Janet yelled at me for leaving Cassie." As Sam admitted the last sentence her voice wavered and her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

Jack pulled her head to his shoulder. "We'll get out of this."

Sam only rested her head for a moment. She pulled away and turned to look him squarely in the face. "There's more. He's been able to control my movements. He made me hit one of the Asgards and then stopped me from hitting him. His control seems to be limited to large movements. He couldn't make me pick up a knife, which involved fine motor skills. My point is I'm not safe to be around."

Jack reached up and moved her greasy hair from in front of her eyes. "I'll take the risk."

Sam placed her hand over his and shook her head. "It's too dangerous."

"There's nothing you can say or do to change my mind. We're in this together." The strength of his words and the intensity of his eyes gave her hope. "So have you figured out what he wants to know?"

Sam let her hand fall away. She took a shuddering breath. "He didn't beat around the bush. He's reviewed my memory of watching the video we left in Ancient Egypt several times. He's asked me questions about Ra's time on Earth. I think he trying to find a way to go back in time. The Asgards haven't been willing to tell him how to use their sensors to predict a flare and he hasn't been able to gain access to an Ancient jumper. Even if he had access to one, he didn't have a pilot with the ancient gene until he captured you."

Jack stood up, paced the room, and ran his hand through his hair. "Damn it! I played right into his hands."

"No, you came to save me. You had no way of knowing what he was doing."

Jack watched Sam leaning back against the wall. She was filthy, tired, and too pale. "So why hasn't he put spiky things in the Asgards and taken the knowledge of how to predict a flare?"

Sam closed her eyes and grinned. "He knows Thor used the probe to take over Anubis' ship. He doesn't want to risk letting that happen again."

Jack stared intensely at Sam. "Any chance you could do it?"

Sam opened her eyes in surprise. "Put my brain in the computer core, take over the ship, and wait to be extracted from the computer and placed in my newly cloned body?"

"Ok, when you put it that way it sounds a little less plausible." Jack glanced at the room's entrance. "Maybe just take down the force field?"

"I don't think I…"

"Just try." Jack moved towards the entrance. "Please."

Sam closed her eyes. She thought of the blue haze of the force field when it was active. She imagined the crystal pattern that would control the force field in her mind. She imagined the crystals were loose. A trickle of blood dripped from her nose. Jack saw it and thought maybe that meant it was working. Sam didn't notice the blood because the pain in her head was exploding. She screamed just before she passed out. Jack ran over to the cot and rolled her onto her side, so the blood wouldn't go down her throat.

Nibikko has a new vid called Hell you should check out at nibikko(dot)com!


	8. The torture continues

Chapter Eight: Let the Torture Continue 

When Sam woke up, she saw Jack hanging on the wall across from the chair in which she was propped. Sam began to lean forward but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"I am glad you are awake. I was growing quite bored." Ba'al stepped around Sam and walked over the Jack.

"You have been very resistant in my attempts to find out how to predict a solar flare. I thought there might be another way to convince you to cooperate." Ba'al touched a small thin black stick to Jack's shoulder. Jack threw his head back against the wall and shut his eyes. He managed to not scream but only barely. He felt as if every inch of his body was burning and melting off his frame. He realized that Sam had under played the pain she'd survived that last six weeks.

"I have seen in your mind how you feel about O'Neill." Images appeared on a screen behind Sam's head. Jack saw himself strapped to a chair as Sam leaned down to explain they were lying.

He could hear her thoughts as she told him they could keep it in the room. 'Please fight me. Tell me you want more. I want to reach out but I'm scared and everything within me says it's wrong.'

Jack's throat constricted as the words from inside Sam's head were projected behind her. The scene changed and Jack saw himself sitting against a gray background. It wasn't a moment he could recall.

"I'll always be there for you…no matter what." Jack searched his memories for this moment but he had nothing. Then to his surprise Sam leaned forward and kissed him in a way he would definitely have remembered had it actually happened. Jack's mouth dropped open and he looked away from the screen. Sam's heart clenched as Jack looked away from her head wound induced hallucination.

The kiss disappeared and was replaced by Jack grilling on his deck. As soon as the beer splashed across the grill Jack knew what was coming. The running commentaries from inside Sam's memories were the real surprise. 'I have to give this one last chance. I can't just give up on him and settle.'

When Kerry stepped out on the deck the internal commentary stopped briefly. The silence grabbed Jack's attention. It took Sam a moment to internally respond, even as she remained externally calm. 'I'm too late. I can't believe I let this happen. It's my fault. I should have done something years ago. I've pushed him too far away and now I look like a fool.'

Just as the sound of Sam's cell could be heard, the scene changed. Jack was on his sofa. He had a beer in his hands and Sam was beside him. Jack knew this was the day after the Ancient repository was again downloaded into his brain.

"You want to be alone. This was a bad I…I…should go." Her words and the discomfort on her face were familiar to Jack. It was the internal commentary that again caught him by surprise. 'I'm losing him and I'm still letting him put me aside! I'd throw it all away right now if only he'd let me!' He hid his emotions from Ba'al as the burning sensation lessened.

The screen flickered as Sam took control of her emotions. "Using General O'Neill against me was a mistake. I respect him and the values he holds dear. I will not willingly do anything that would violate his beliefs, no matter what you do to him or me. His faith in me is more important than our lives. I know he feels the same."

Ba'al screamed in frustration and marched from Jack to Sam. He backhanded Sam across the face. The strength of the Goa'uld strike threw Sam across the room. She slammed into the wall and was out cold again.

When Sam next awoke, she was back on the all too familiar cot. Jack's was sitting cross-legged on the floor and his head was resting beside her arm. Sam ran her fingers over the gray spiky hair she so loved.

Jack jerked his head up and looked at Sam. His concern was obvious and she smiled to help calm his fears. "You've been out cold for hours. How are you feeling?"

"I have a knot on my head and it hurts but…" Sam's eyes widened.

Jack sat up on his knees and leaned over Sam. "But what?"

"The headache…the one from the probe…it's gone."

Jack's face tensed. "Gone as in?"

Sam smiled. "As in I don't feel it."

"I'm guessing this is a good thing?"

Sam pulled herself up and faced Jack. "I certainly hope so."

Not long after Sam had regained consciousness the guards returned and led Sam and Jack back to the room of torture. Jack was bound to the wall and Sam was forced to sit in the chair that was centered in the room facing Jack. Ba'al glided into the room and pressed the burning device against Jack's arm without having asked any questions. The guards quietly left.

Sam tensed her face and glared at Ba'al. "Haven't we already made it clear this won't work?"

"You have been to the Asgard homeworld. How did you get there?" Ba'al turned his eyes to the screen, which remained blank. "What did you see on the planet?" Ba'al was screaming but nothing appeared on the screen.

Ba'al took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. "I don't have time to continue this game. Stand!"

Sam stood as ordered. Jack's confidence that the mind control ball wasn't working was suddenly shaken.

"Go to him and hit him across the face." Sam walked past Ba'al and towards Jack. She slightly grinned at Jack before she spun on her heel and placed a forceful kick to Ba'al's midsection. Ba'al fell to a kneeling position. Sam followed through with a double fisted blow to the back of Ba'al's neck before he could recover from the kick. She grabbed him around the neck and twisted, severing his spine and quickly ending the battle.

"I swear these clones just aren't as good as the real thing." Sam walked over to a console and pressed three symbols. Jack fell off the wall. While Jack got his legs back under him Sam accessed the ship's computer. She'd located all of the ships occupants by the time Jack joined her at the console.

"Nice job. I guess that proves the probe thingy isn't working any more." Jack gently patted Sam on the back.

"There." Sam pointed to two blips only three corridors away. "We can take down those two guards and get their weapons."

"I like the way you think."

Sam smirked and glanced at Jack. "I had a good teacher."

Jack grinned back and bounced on his toes. "Cool."

The two poorly trained guards went down easily. Jack and Sam freed the Asgard who used the ship's security measures to stun all non-Asgard occupants except Sam and Jack. When the Ba'als and guards awoke they were imprisoned in several small Asgard brigs. The Asgards happily removed the non-functioning probe from Sam's brain.

The complete story (which includes one more chapter) is posted on nibikko(dot)com!


	9. Home Again

Chapter Nine: Home again

Jack slowly walked up the hill towards Sam. Her head was bent down as she stared at the gray marble stone scheduled for removal the next day. The headstone read "Friend, Sister, Daughter, and Hero to us all" just below her name.

Jack placed his hand on her back between her shoulder blades "Creepy?"

Sam slowly nodded. "Yeah."

"Now that I've done this once, I plan to never do it again so you have to out live me."

Sam slightly grinned. "That was always the plan." Her grin faded. "Is it in the coffin?"

Jack took one step closer to Sam. "Yeah, but Doc injected it with something to eat the cells and cut the DNA into little pieces. It'll never be identified as human, let alone as you."

Sam just nodded her head. Jack put his arms around her waist and gently pulled her back against his chest. "It took a lot of strength to not let him use me against you."

Sam glanced over her shoulder at him. "You'd have done the same thing."

Jack rested his chin on her shoulder as her eyes went back to the headstone. "I hope so."

Sam turned her head in surprise and looked wide-eyed at Jack. Jack didn't respond to the question in her eyes. Instead he relied on his infamous Jack maneuver and changed the subject. "I'm here for you if you want to talk about…disposing of the Ba'al clone."

Sam turned her face away from his gaze and looked out over the cemetery. "I've killed before."

"With your bare hands?" There was no response to Jack's question. He hadn't expected her to answer. "Out of anger?"

That was too much for Sam. She pulled out of his arms and spun around to face him. Anger smoldered in her eyes as she glared at him. "I did it so we could escape!"

Jack nodded. He didn't attempt to pull her back into his arms. She was too volatile and he still had to push her further before this could end. "True, but you also enjoyed it. You liked paying him back for everything he did to you."

Sam glanced away but she didn't respond to his accusation. Jack kept pushing. "I know how good it feels at first. I also know how it comes back to bite you in the ass."

Jack took one step forward and wrapped his arms around her waist again. Sam remained stiff. Her head was turned away from him so he couldn't see into her eyes. "I want to be there when it happens. Don't shut me out."

Jack paused, fearful he'd pushed too hard too soon. Without warning Sam fell forward and rested her forehead on his shoulder. "I'll try not to shut you out but it's hard for me."

Her arms wrapped around his shoulders. Jack rubbed her back and sighed. This was the first important step in her recovery and Jack was glad he helped her get here. "You're talking to the master of holding it all inside."

Sam laughed. Jack lifted her, spun her in a quick circle, put her down and deeply kissed her. "Let's go home."

Jack kept one arm around Sam's waist as they walked down the path towards his truck. "So you were dreaming of kissing me years ago?" Jack smirked as he brought up the memories he'd seen on display.

Sam looked over at him and smiled her widest smile. "That was a concussion induced hallucination. My dreams are much hotter."

Jack stopped short, shocked by her calm and quick response. Sam kept walking and added a definite swing to her slim hips. Jack watched her walk and began to smile. His heart raced as he jogged to catch up with her. He knew his increased heart rate had little to do with the short jog and lots to do with the woman of his dreams (and what dreams they were).

The End…Thanks for sticking with me. The rest of June will be filled with homework and real work. I'm sure I'll be back before too long! Give my beta nibikko a big round of applause by checking our her vids at nibikko(dot)com.


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